Ms. Davis' farewell, stickers (with personal email address memdavis@gmail.com for you to say hello, ask for a letter of recommendation, ask for English help, etc.), and feedback request
Several students asked about the presentation I was going to give yesterday, until we ran out of time. It involves a personal mission of mine to create awareness about the dangers of distracted driving. I converted the Keynote/Powerpoint into a YouTube video for easier viewing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0A39lvFCxM&feature=youtu.be
December 15, 2011
Work time in class to finish storyboards and email them to Ms. Davis (michelle_davis@rdale.org) or save to a flash drive (in case the network goes down tomorrow.) If you email Ms. Davis, please include your username and password.
HW: Prepare for presentation! Read the daily updates below and assignment posted here to make sure you have all components.
December 14, 2011
Lab 350 work time on storyboards
December 13, 2011
Announcement: If you want to use Animoto, I was able to get our class a free six month subscription for unlimited length videos. When logged in, go to "My Account," then "Account Overview," then paste in this promo code at the bottom of the screen: a4edavi62880b
Discussed elements that should be present in storyboard: characters, important plot points, themes, symbols, setting, etc.
Discussed back cover: It can be dialogue with a short summary (a few sentences) that is either the last page of your storyboard or a separate typed page you hand in to us.
Second 55wSS: Make sure your group members follow the rules, have a title, and at the bottom, define the setting, character, conflict, and resolution. HW: Type both 55wSS created this week and bring first 100 word story that was workshopped on Tuesday.
Four pages of the Big Short Story: Use the brevity lessons learned this week to provide and gather feedback. Guiding questions: What should be cut to create suspense? What details or sentences are irrelevant? What would be revised for clarity?
December 7, 2011
Turn in revised POV papers (if chosen to take the extra days and revise the second perspective)
ERC lab tasks:
Type a second 55 word short story
Type a revised 55 word short story (from workshop yesterday)
HW: Bring second 55 word short story and four pages of your Big Short Story
December 6, 2011
Review rules for 55wSS
Workshop: 100 word story to 55 words
First, read and count words
Second, agree as a group on the following: Setting, characters, conflict, resolution
Write these down on the paper
Third, decide what you can cut: Whole sentences? Adjectives? Adverbs?
Fourth, brainstorm how you can re-write with less words
HW: If you didn't turn in POV papers yesterday, they are due tomorrow.
Make sure you have four pages of your Big Short Story for Thursday!
December 5, 2011
Workshop/share second POV
Turned in first POV (draft and revision), as well as second POV if students desired. Otherwise, a revised second POV is accepted through Wednesday.
HW: Bring a new, 100 word story to workshop with tomorrow
December 2, 2011
Passed back graded dialogue
Workshop for 15 minutes with the following goals: (1) show don't tell and (2) brainstorm what character should now re-tell the same story.
Started second POV assignment (one-page) in lab 350: Re-tell the exact same story you brought today for workshop through a different character's perspective.
HW: Finish second POV for workshop on Monday. Turn in your first POV assignment (which received my initials today) along with a revision based on the comments you received.
December 1, 2011
POV assignment: Write a new page in your story or create a random one-page story from the perspective of one character.
Type (start in ERC in class) and finish this story for tomorrow's workshop
November 30, 2011
Turned in revised (and original, signed) dialogue
Discussion of possible perspectives:
First person (limited or shifting): one person tells the story from their perspectives
Third person (limited, shifting, or omniscient): He/She = one person's thoughts (omniscient is usually God)
In class pre-writing for POV
Pick a TV show or movie and retell a piece of the story through a different (not main) character. Example: The Dark Knight if from Batman's perspective (largely); what would it be like from the Joker's perspective?
November 29, 2011
10 more minutes of workshop on dialogue paper (revised due tomorrow)
"Strawberry spring" short story as introduction to Point-of-View week
Discussion: What are possibilities for your paper? Limited third person? Omniscient? First person narration?
November 28, 2011
Maas talked about The Cipher (you will select at least one, not more than three, poems to upload into this published piece of literature for the school)
Discussed grades (no late work accepted); given half sheet of paper with all due dates for the next two weeks (they will also be posted here)
Continued watching movie clips and discussing how in the dialogue the author "shows not tells."
Workshop: Is dialogue real? Necessary? Showing? Revised copy due Wednesday.
November 23, 2011
Turned in packet: (1) character description, (2) setting description, (3) rough draft of first two pages of story, (4) revised two pages of story
Unpacked King, Chapter 7 (dialogue)
Highlight: Be authentic, not cliched
Shared examples of dialogue that students captured yesterday afternoon in the halls, on the phone, or at home
Watched three movie clips illustrated good and bad dialogue (from Get Shorty, Star Wars, The Dark Knight)
HW: One page of dialogue (within your story's theme) due Monday.
HW:Today/tonight: Capture some real dialogue that you hear in the halls or at home. Bring a couple conversations (not typed) tomorrow to discuss. Also be ready to talk about King, Chapter 7, and turn in revised (typed) two pages of story that we work-shopped on Monday.
Writers also need to turn in one-page character and setting descriptions.
Spent 25 minutes in MC, writing at least one page of dialogue. Due Monday
The writer should create a scene comprised primarily of dialogue between two or three characters. The writer can describe the setting and characters, but about 80% of the piece should be the discussion between the characters. The writer should contemplate whether there is conflict or something which will remain unspoken between the characters.
November 21, 2011
Workshop
Goals: Is character developed? Can we be transported into their world or are we just being told their stories?
Re-write, typed copies due Wednesday (with all rough drafts so far)
Closure: volunteers read excertps of their stories
HW: Read King, Chapter 7
November 18, 2011
Read opening chapter of The House on Mango Street as example of character in a setting.
Lab time: Write approximately 2 pages, typed, double spaced. Create a scene in which your character is acting within the setting. Some type of conflict should be apparent or incipient within the scene. The scene does not necessarily require a resolution to the conflict. Draft due Monday!
November 17, 2011
Read opening page of The Catcher in the Rye to illustrate and talk about character development
Free-write in class: Approximtely one page. The writer should create and describe a character of his or her own design. Description of physical features, mood, personality, personal history, and physiognomy are all encouraged.
HW: Page on character development due tomorrow
November 16, 2011
Debrief: Take-aways from guest speaker
Reminder that workshop days are still just as important and will count for 10 points as you turn in parts of your short story. So, be prepared with your drafts!
Silently read chapter five of King's On Writing.
Discussion on character description and development
Tomorrow's class will be used as lab to develop a character: The writer should create and describe a character of his or her own design. Description of physical features, mood, personality, personal history, and physiognomy are all encouraged. One page, double spaced, due Friday.
On Friday we will use lab time to place the character in your setting and make something happen!
November 15, 2011
Guest speaker on real world writing: Shaz Khan
November 14, 2011
Revisited high points of King, chapter 6 on setting
What examples were effective? What didn't work about the examples that he cited as "bad"?
Reviewed expectations for guest speaker tomorrow, previewed week
Workshop: Eliminate unncessary or cliche details from paper on setting. Focus on what is necessary and what works.
November 11, 2011
Mr. Maas discussed theme of short story assignments leading to your 10 page "Big Short Story" due in late December.
Brainstormed "What if?" questions as basis for short stories
Discussed King, chapter 6.
Lab time to begin homework: One page description of setting, with all the details you can think of
November 9-10, 2011
Reading day: final poem!
HW for 10/10: Read excerpt (chapter 6) from Stephen King's memoir: On writing.
November 8, 2011
Workshop day for final poems
Reading day tomorrow! Bring two final copies plus rough draft.
November 7, 2011
Reviewed final poem choices
Continued working on first draft of final poem
Draft of final poem due tomorrow for workshop day!
November 4, 2011
Finished free verse reading.
Brainstormed list of poems completed this past quarter: sonnets, autobio, voice, image, haiku, and free verse.
For the final poem assignment, you can choose to create any type of poem from the list above or try a new challenge:
HW: Bring two copies of finished poem on Monday (reading day!)
September 29, 2011
Worked in English Resource Center on computers
Started with free-writes about your future: "Five years ago, what did want to do with your future?" and "When you envision your future today, what does it look like?"
Second half of class students spent writing their autobiographical poem
HW: Bring draft (24 lines is minimum) tomorrow and be ready to work-shop with peers
September 28, 2011
Briefly reviewed autobiographical poems ("Where I'm From" by Lyons; "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" by Hughes; "Dulce et decorum est" by Owen)
Shared artifacts in small groups
Free-writes in class: Your artifact's significance/story; your most significant moment from the last year; how you define yourself now
HW: Bring eight lines tomorrow of your autobio poem
December 16, 2011
December 15, 2011
December 14, 2011
December 13, 2011
December 12, 2011
http://www.newtimesslo.com/art/6094/after-all-55-fiction-is-a-contest/
December 9, 2011
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December 7, 2011
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November 30, 2011
November 29, 2011
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November 23, 2011
November 22, 2011
- Read Hills Like White Elephants (http://www.gummyprint.com/blog/archives/hills-like-white-elephants-complete-story/), discussed topic, how dialogue shows rather than tells, what is necessary to understand the unstated topic, meaning of "white elephant," etc.
- HW:Today/tonight: Capture some real dialogue that you hear in the halls or at home. Bring a couple conversations (not typed) tomorrow to discuss. Also be ready to talk about King, Chapter 7, and turn in revised (typed) two pages of story that we work-shopped on Monday.
- Writers also need to turn in one-page character and setting descriptions.
- Spent 25 minutes in MC, writing at least one page of dialogue. Due Monday
The writer should create a scene comprised primarily of dialogue between two or three characters. The writer can describe the setting and characters, but about 80% of the piece should be the discussion between the characters. The writer should contemplate whether there is conflict or something which will remain unspoken between the characters.November 21, 2011
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